Seventeen girls. Some just 12 years old. All pregnant after surviving sexual violence. And the hospital program caring for them in Tanzania had only three beds.
Between 2021 and 2023, the girls, ages 12 to 17, needed far more than medical treatment. They needed protection, counseling, education, and somewhere safe to raise their babies. For children whose lives had already been upended, three hospital beds were painfully inadequate.
Four years later, 10 homes are standing where there were none before.
K2 Adventures Foundation, with support from Scottsdale-based Mother’s Grace, is preparing for the January 2027 soft opening of the White Hat Project, a residential community designed to accommodate up to 20 young mothers and their babies.
The numbers beyond this hospital are sobering. Tanzania’s 2022 Demographic and Health Survey found that approximately 22% of girls and young women ages 15 to 19 had experienced pregnancy. UNICEF data also shows that 29% of Tanzanian women ages 20 to 24 were married or in a union before turning 18. While these figures don’t establish how many pregnancies resulted from sexual violence, they underscore the broader challenges facing girls whose childhoods are interrupted far too soon.
“When I think about these girls, I think about everything they’ve already survived and how much they deserve,” says Michelle Moore, founder of Mother’s Grace. “They deserve to feel safe, to continue their education, to raise their babies surrounded by love and support. We’ve spent four years supporting this mission, and knowing we’re so close to welcoming them home is incredibly emotional. This is what happens when people refuse to give up on each other.”
Four Years, Ten Homes, And A Chance to Start Over
The White Hat Project grew from Kristen Sandquist’s 17 years of work in Tanzania and a vision for something more permanent. Moore, her longtime friend, joined the effort four years ago, bringing the Mother’s Grace community alongside K2 Adventures Foundation to support that vision.
With land and local support from NSK Hospital, the organizations navigated government approvals, permits, and construction to bring the 10-home community to life.
Today, all 10 residential homes, known as bomas, have been constructed. The focus now is turning those buildings into a community where young mothers can receive the care and stability they need.
“For years, we’ve seen what these girls are going through, and we’ve known that three hospital beds could never be enough,” says Sandquist. “Michelle and the Mother’s Grace community believed in this dream with us, even when the road was difficult. Now there are 10 homes standing where these young women will have the chance to recover, learn, and build a future for themselves and their children. That’s something we can all be proud of.”
The homes are standing, but the work isn’t finished. Both organizations are seeking donations and community support to complete the campus and sustain the medical care, counseling, education, and daily necessities its residents will need.
For these young mothers, the stakes are deeply personal: a safe place to sleep, help raising a baby, and the chance to return to school and make choices about their own futures. Three hospital beds were never enough. Ten homes won’t erase what happened to these girls, but they could change what happens next.
Insider Takeaways
- 10 Homes, 20 Young Mothers: The campus is designed to accommodate up to 20 young mothers and their babies.
- Care Beyond Childbirth: Planned prenatal and postnatal services, mental health counseling, and emotional support.
- A Chance to Keep Learning: Education and vocational training, including sewing and beading, to help residents build independence.
- The Remaining Needs: Furniture, plumbing supplies, landscaping, a security wall, and an activity center are among the priorities.
- Preparing for January: Staff interviews are planned for December. Four Mother’s Grace mothers and board members plan to travel to Tanzania in January to furnish rooms, plant gardens, and prepare the homes.
To learn more or support the White Hat Project, visit mothers-grace.org.
